Judge refuses to order YouTube to remove anti-Islam film

A California judge has refused to order YouTube to remove
controversial footage from Innocence of Muslims, the inflammatory film that sparked a US backlash in the Middle
East.

A woman who starred in the film, Cindy Lee Garcia, asked a Los
Angeles County judge to take down the film because she said she was
fired from her job, received death threats and was tricked into
starring in the "hateful anti-Islamic production". The film has
possibly led to the killing of J Christopher Stevens, the US
ambassador to Libya, and about two dozen others in the past
week.

Garcia, of California, believed she would be starring in an
Arabian desert adventure film, according
to her suit. But the 14-minute YouTube trailer, produced by
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula of Southern California, portrays a
different story -- one where the prophet Muhammad seemingly engages
in oral sex with Garcia's character.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Garcia's lawyer M Cris
Armenta told Superior Court Judge Luis Lanvin that the
dispute is "not a First Amendment issue. This is an invasion of
privacy issue". Armenta said she would continue to press for the
footage's removal.

It was an unusual request. The primary reason YouTube is asked
to remove footage in the US is because of copyright violations.

The judge, siding with Google, which owns YouTube, said Garcia
is not likely to "prevail" on the merits of her lawsuit against
Nakoula. Garcia claims he "intentionally concealed the purpose and
content of the film".

The White House had asked YouTube to review the footage to
ensure that it comported with the media giant's terms of service.
YouTube did not remove it from US-based viewers. However, YouTube
has blocked the film in Egypt, Libya, Indonesia, Malaysia and Saudi
Arabia.

Google, in response to the White House's bid, said the film was
"clearly within our guidelines and so will stay on YouTube".